Cytotoxicity of graphene oxide and graphene oxide loaded with doxorubicin on human multiple myeloma cells

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of human multiple myeloma cells (RPMI-8226) treated with graphene oxide (GO), doxorubicin (DOX), and GO loaded with DOX (GO/DOX). Cell viability was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and analyzing the cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Cells treated with GO, GO/DOX, and pure DOX for 24 hours showed a decrease in proliferation. GO/DOX significantly inhibited cell proliferation as compared with pure DOX (P < 0.01). When the effects of GO were removed, there was no observed difference between GO/DOX and pure DOX (P > 0.05). Flow cytometry analysis of untreated and GO-, DOX-, and GO/DOX-treated cells found no significant differences in the G(0)/G(1) phase (P > 0.05), while significant differences were observed in the total apoptotic rates (P < 0.05). No significant differences existed in the total apoptotic rates of GO-treated and untreated cells (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that GO caused low cytotoxicity and did not induce cell apoptosis or change the cell cycle in multiple myeloma cells. Moreover, GO did not affect the antitumor activity of DOX. In conclusion, GO would be suitable as an anticancer drug nanocarrier and used to treat hematological malignancies.